


Winter's End

by Rissalena



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-15
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-12 22:51:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 7,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3358256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rissalena/pseuds/Rissalena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a slight change of events from Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Bucky is apprehended by SHIELD before his attempt on Fury's life, though Hydra comes out of the shadows regardless. Bucky is placed in the care of one of SHIELD's top medical officers, Nora Dugan. Though slow to trust, they form a connection that eventually helps Bucky heal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started this fic a while ago over at FF.net, and eventually lost steam. However, I discovered that, even after almost six months of not updating, it was still getting new followers. So I decided to pick back up with it (also decided to move it over to AO3). I'm struggling with the current chapter, but I'll persevere!

Chapter 1  
The redheaded doctor stood in the center of her med lab watching as the agents brought him in. So much about him was unknown, and, once discovered, would no doubt be classified. So, as the only doctor aboard the hellicarrier with high enough security clearance, Nora would be working alone. There were other agents in the room, of course, just in case. At 5’2” with no combat training, she would be helpless if things got ugly. He was sedated, but if whatever had been done to him was anything like what had been done to Steve, those sedatives wouldn’t last very long. So while she knew the agents were there for her protection, they put her on edge.  
She’d been briefed on what to expect from the injuries, old and new, of the incoming patient, but the reality of it was worse than she’d expected. The physical trauma he must have been through was staggering. The raw line of skin where the metal arm had been attached made her cringe. He lay on the table in front of her, unconscious and riddled with bullet holes, and, though he was the enemy, she felt a sudden pang of sympathy for the Winter Soldier. She knew who he really was, of course. She’d spoken to Steve before they brought him in; Sergeant James “Bucky” Barnes, Captain America’s one time best friend. She knew more than just what Steve had told her, however. Her grandfather had been a Howling Commando, so she grew up hearing the stories of Captain America and his group. It was what made her want to join SHIELD in the first place. She knew what a good man Bucky had been, and how he’d died. Or, not died, as it turned out. Of course, the man in front of her wasn’t exactly Bucky anymore. Brainwashed who knows how many times over, he had no memory of his true self; it was hard at this point to know if he had any memory of any point in his life.  
She immediately got to work extracting the various bullets from his arm and torso. It was a miracle that they hadn’t done much damage. She was just sewing up the last of the wounds when she saw his eyes begin to flutter open. She tensed up, but continued with the stitches as he opened his eyes fully and turned slightly to look at her. He tensed, and the agents in the room immediately drew their weapons and moved in, stopped only by an abrupt gesture from her to stand down. He hadn’t moved, despite the obvious threat, and she saw no need to turn this into a fight unnecessarily.  
“We’re okay here.” She said, calmly returning to her stitching, finishing in silence and cleaning up her surgical tools before turning to regard the soldier. He hadn’t moved, hadn’t made a sound, but he kept his eyes fixed on her, not sure whether she was friend or foe. He was like a wild animal assessing a threat. Once she’d finally made her way back over to his side, he decided it was safe to take his eyes off her, and turned to regard the stitches now running up his arm and chest. He looked at her questioningly, then back at his healing wounds.  
“They don’t hurt”, he said in confusion, “Why don’t they hurt?”  
“Well”, she responded, a little confused, “I gave you something for the pain”.  
“Why”?  
“Why”? She asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, “I … I don’t want you to be in pain”.  
He considered that for a moment, then went back to simply watching her as she moved about the lab. She picked up a syringe and approached him again.  
“I don’t know how much longer the pain medication will last, to be honest”, she told him gently, “I suspect your body will metabolize the medicine much faster than a normal human, so it will probably start to wear off soon. I’d like to confirm my suspicion, if you’d let me take a blood sample and run some tests”.  
He tensed again as she held the needle up, eying the agents that still surrounded the room. He knew about tests. He knew about being poked and prodded and experimented on… He began to feel the anger rising up as he noticed the agent by the door trying to look casual as he moved in, the tension in the room increasing, until he felt a soft hand on his shoulder. He relaxed slightly, looking up at her as she waved off the approaching agent.  
“Only if you say it’s okay, alright James?” she said quietly, squeezing his shoulder and giving him a small smile.  
She turned to the agents in the room, suddenly assuming a stance of authority.  
“Thank you for your services, gentlemen. I don’t think I’ll be requiring anything else of you today”, she said curtly, turning back to him.  
They all hesitated a moment, torn between their training to follow orders (as the senior medical officer on board, not to mention a legacy, she outranked every single one of them), and their distrust of the enemy. She turned and levelled a final stare at them, and they straightened and filed out the room. Her stance relaxed and she pulled a chair over to the table, pushing the button to incline it so that he was now in a sitting position. He regarded her cautiously, not sure what to make of her.  
“My name is Nora”, she said, extending her hand for him to shake. He simply turned away.  
“James…” she said, a sympathetic look flitting across her face “I can only imagine what Hydra has done to you, but I’m not like that. No tests, no experiments, nothing that you don’t say is okay.”  
“Why do you keep calling me that?” he asked somberly, “My name isn’t James”.  
“What is your name”?  
“I don’t have one”. He said it so matter-of-factly, it was heartbreaking.  
“You do”, she smiled sadly, “You just don’t remember”.  
His brow furrowed, confusion and sadness written all over his face. He extended his good arm toward her.  
“Run whatever tests you want”, he said, making a fist and closing his eyes.  
She picked up the syringe again, quickly and gently drawing a vial of blood, and got to work running the various tests she hoped would provide her with some answers.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
Less than an hour later, her tests had been run and she’d moved him to a more comfortable bed. The tests had confirmed some of her suspicions, but they’d also raised more questions. Not only did his cells have the same regenerative properties as Steve Rogers, but she’d found traces of two different drugs in his system. She had some ideas as to the reason behind the presence of those drugs, so she sat down again next to him to get more answers.  
“Look, I know you don’t want me to call you James, but I need to call you something, so what shall it be?” she asked.  
“If it makes you feel better to call me James, call me James”, he replied flatly.  
She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “I was right about your cell regeneration. I assume the painkillers have worn off”?  
She took his silence as an affirmative.   
“I found some other things when I tested your blood. Do you know anything about the drugs they gave you”?  
“They gave me an injection after every mission”, he replied, looking away from her. “If the mission was successful, green. If the mission failed, red”.  
“I assume the green injections made you feel good”, she continued, a knot forming in her chest as she realized where this was going.  
“And the red injections caused pain”, he finished.  
“They were conditioning you”, she said, the knot in her chest tightening as she took in his expressionless eyes. “And they were keeping you on a leash. I think you’re probably about to start experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Have you ever gone more than 48 hours without either drug”?  
“No”, he said shortly, but finally turning to look at her.  
She sighed again, her sympathy growing for this broken man, “It’s not going to be pleasant, I’m afraid. I can sedate you, but with your increased metabolism, the sedative won’t last very long. We’ll have to wait until the symptoms become close to unbearable”, she finished sadly.  
“How long will it last”, he asked, still very matter-of-fact, no trace of fear or reluctance in his voice as he turned away from her.  
“With your cell regeneration … a day? I can knock you out for about six hours, but that’s it. I’m going to hook you up to a heart monitor, just to keep an eye on you. I’ll stay with you, ok”?  
He whipped his head back to look at her, suspicion in his eyes, but remained silent, only nodded. She stood and began prepping the room again, bringing over the heart monitor, placing a bucket next to him on the floor, and laying a blanket at his feet. Then she sat down again and placed her hand on top of his. He flinched at the contact, pulling his hand away. She withdrew and placed her hand back in her lap, not wanting to push.  
They sat for a long time in silence. He would occasionally turn to glance at her, meeting her eyes, then abruptly looking away. Eventually, she noticed him starting to tense up again, his arms unconsciously wrapping around himself as the chills began to set it. She wordlessly opened the blanket and spread it over him, not sure how much comfort he would allow her to give him. He uncurled a little, the blanket providing him with some warmth, and then shot forward, grabbing the bucket and emptying his stomach into it. Rubbing his back lightly, still not wanting to push, she was seemingly unable to stop herself from trying to comfort him. He looked at her as he put the bucket down and leaned back, and she was relieved to see what looked like gratitude in his eyes. She smiled at him and got him a glass of water, sitting back in her chair with her hands resting on the edge of the bed. She watched him drink it and put it back down, then tried to conceal her surprise as she felt his hand slide under hers and grip it tentatively. He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, his brow furrowing and his hand gripping hers tighter. She ran her fingers through his hair gently and prepared to wait out what was going to be a long night.   
Hours later, he still hadn’t said a word, but was clearly reaching the worst of his withdrawal symptoms. Squeezing his hand, she stood and picked up a syringe.   
“I think it’s time for that sedative”, she said quietly, still holding his hand.  
“I’m fine”, he said, a trace of stubbornness in his voice, “I can handle it”.  
“I know you can”, she said, trying hard not to sound placating, “But you don’t have to. Wouldn’t you rather sleep”?  
For the first time since he’d come in to her lab, he looked scared. She felt that knot tighten further as she realized sleep was not a comfort for him. Sleep meant dreaming, and she could only imagine the horrible things his subconscious had to work through while he slept.   
Forcing his face back into a neutral expression, he nodded, not wanting her to see his fear. She gave him the injection and sat back down, waiting for the drugs to take effect. Within minutes, his head was nodding, his heart rate slowing. He finally leaned back, eyes closed, his muscles relaxing and his heart rate slowing to a firm, steady pace. Confident he was out, she put her head down herself, recognizing her own need to get some rest, but not wanting to leave him.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
Morning came, and Nora awoke to the feeling of a hand resting on her shoulder. She sat up and took in her surroundings, eyes finally coming to rest on the man in the hospital bed. He looked better. His blue eyes were clearer, more of the tension was gone, but he was regarding her with that same look of confusion and suspicion he’d given her the night before.  
“You’re still here”, he said almost accusingly. “Why”?  
She combed her fingers through her hair and stretched, forcing the last traces of sleepiness away. “I didn’t want you to wake up alone. Or with a stranger here”.   
“What does it matter to you?” he finally asked, giving voice to the question he’d been wanting to ask since they first brought him in.  
“James”, she said, hesitating, not sure what the right answer was, “I know it’s not something you’re used to, being taken care of. But …”, she hesitated again, “I just feel like you must have been through so much pain and suffering, I want to give you whatever comfort I can, however small it may be. Has no one ever shown you compassion before”?  
“Compassion?” he said bitterly, “I’m a soldier. Compassion is for the weak. I don’t need it”.   
She sighed, “Well, you’ll excuse me if I show it to you anyway”.  
He turned away from her, refusing to meet her eyes as she pulled the electrodes of the heart monitor off his chest.  
Moving to the door, she continued, “Look, we’ve set a room up for you here. I’ll have some agents escort you. I’m going to shower and change, and then I’d like to talk to you about your past. But I want you to know you’re not our prisoner. If you want to leave, tell me now and you’ll be dropped at the nearest safe point”. She looked at him, the challenge in her eyes clear.  
He’d never been given a choice before, and he sat in silent contemplation for a long time, before finally asking, “What will you do with me here”?  
“I don’t know”, she answered honestly. “You’re a risk. But we won’t do anything to you that you don’t want. We won’t hurt you unless you give us a reason. That’s all I can offer you at this point, but I guarantee it’s a better offer than what you’ll get if you go back to Hydra”.  
He stood, taking a moment to check in with himself physically. The past 24 hours had brought about a lot of changes for him, mentally and physically. For the first time since he could remember, he felt in control of himself.  
“I’ll stay”, he said tersely.  
“Good”, she replied, genuinely happy that he’d be staying, hopeful that he’d have a better life at SHIELD. “I’ll see you in a few hours”.  
Stepping out into the hall, she gestured to the agent stationed just outside the lab door. “Would you take Mr. Barnes to his room? You can leave him to his own devices, but stay by the door. I don’t want anyone short of Director Fury himself going in to see him. Understood”?   
The agent nodded and moved into the lab, motioning for James to follow him. Nora waited until they were on their way before following behind and heading to her own room.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
She lingered in the shower, running over the events of the last day. She didn’t know what the future had in store for the Winter Soldier, but she wanted to make sure she did everything in her power to give him the life she knew he should’ve had. She’d delivered her report to Director Fury, recommending he stay on the ship until further decisions could be made about him, adding that she trusted that he wouldn’t be a danger to himself or anyone else, that Bucky was still in there.  
She stepped out of the shower and dried her hair. She was nervous about the impending conversation with the soldier. He was in such a fragile psychological state, she didn’t want say the wrong thing. Plus, the more she learned about him, the more her heart broke for him. She took a deep breath and stepped out into the hall, making her way towards the room that had been assigned to him. She nodded at the agent in the hall and knocked on the door.   
A moment passed with nothing, long enough that she was just raising her hand to knock again when he opened it.  
“Everything alright”, she asked as he stepped aside to let her in.  
“Yes”, he replied, “I was deciding whether to let you in or not”.  
“Well, thank you for letting me in.” She replied genuinely, moving to one of the two chairs positioned in the corner. “May I sit?”  
“Why do you keep …” He trailed off, his face taking on its customary blank expression. “Yes, sit”.  
“Join me?” She asked, and he nodded and sat in the empty chair across from her. “I know this might be difficult for you, but I want to know what you remember of your past.”  
“My past? I don’t …” He struggled, paused, then finally continued, “I don’t have a past. The first thing I remember is waking up in a chair in a room surrounded by men. I can recall vague images of training, fighting, and then there’s a man telling me that I’ve been doing important work, and there’s more to be done. He shows me a picture of a man, says he’s my target, my mission. There are things around me, in the world, that seem familiar, I instinctively know a lot of things, but I can’t remember having done any of them before …”   
He closed his eyes as he spoke, leaning forward to put his elbows on his knees, his hands clenching into fists. She reached out and put her hand over his good one, and he jerked back, eyes flying open in surprise at the contact.   
“You say my name is James?” He asked, sitting back in his chair. “But that doesn’t seem familiar”.  
“It’s been a long time since you were called James. James Buchanan Barnes is your full name, Bucky for short.”  
“Bucky …” He trailed off, “That sounds familiar ... That man I fought, he called me Bucky. Does he know me?”  
“He does. His name is Steve Rogers. You’ve known him since you were a child.”  
He didn’t respond, but she could see him struggling to remember.   
“Director Fury, the man who runs this organization, would like to speak with you. Will you come with me to his office?” She asked, standing.  
“What does he want to speak to me about?” He asked, remembering his conversations with the man who ran the last organization that kept him.   
“I don’t know”, she replied honestly, “But he’s not a bad man. He likes to intimidate people, but underneath, he is good. He probably wants to talk about what we should do with you.”  
“Alright”, he said, standing and walking to the door with her.  
She waved off the guard as they made their way into the hall and towards the elevator. She glanced at Bucky, aware that this situation had the potential for disaster. He didn’t seem nervous, though. He simply walked on, back straight, eyes forward, like the soldier he’d been trained to be.  
They reached Fury’s office and she stopped, turning to Bucky, “He’ll want to speak to you alone. I’ll be right out here, though.”  
He nodded, and she knocked on the door. Fury opened it and stepped aside, gesturing for Bucky to come in.  
“Doc”, Fury said, turning back to her, “I’ll have an agent escort him back when we’re done chatting”.  
She took a deep breath, “If it’s alright, sir, I’ll wait here. I told Bucky I would”.  
Bucky turned to her at the mention of his nickname, regarding her with a look that she couldn’t quite place, but was softer than anything she’d seen from him. Fury watched the silent exchange between them, not saying anything. She hoped he recognized the importance of earning Bucky’s trust, and breathed a small sigh of relief when he simply nodded and closed the door.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
After what felt like forever, but was probably only about half an hour, Fury opened the door, closing it again as Bucky stepped out into the hallway.  
“How did it go?” Nora asked nonchalantly as they made their way back to his room.  
“I’m going to stay here for a while. He asked me what my plans were, and I told him I didn’t have any. He asked me what I knew of Hydra, and I told him what I told you. He told me he couldn’t trust me, and asked me what he was supposed to do with me. I told him I didn’t know.”  
They’d reached his room by that point, and she stopped in front of his door, noting there were no longer agents stationed in front of his room. She wanted to hear about the rest of his conversation with Fury, but as before, she didn’t want to push.  
Bucky reached for the door and opened it, surprising her by stepping aside to let her in.   
She smiled to herself, asking, “Are you inviting me in?”  
“I thought you’d like to hear about the rest of our conversation.” He said matter-of-factly.  
“I would, thank you.”  
They crossed to the chairs in the corner, sitting in them as they had earlier in the day. She leaned back and waited, trusting he’d continue when he was ready.  
“He told me that you recommended I stay here, that you trusted me not to be a danger. And he said that, luckily for me, he trusts your opinion. I’m confined to this deck until further notice, but I’m free to move around this deck as I please. Unless, of course, I get out of line, then he’ll do whatever is necessary.”  
“Well”, she sighed, “I’m glad he took my advice.”  
“Thank you”, he said simply.  
“You’re welcome”, she replied, smiling. “What will you do with yourself? There’s a gym on this deck, but I can’t imagine you’ll spend all your time working out. Do you read?”  
“I don’t know”, he replied. “I know how, but like I said, I don’t remember every really reading anything”.  
“I’ll get you some books, we’ll figure out what you like”.  
“Thank you”, he said again simply. He brushed his hair out of his face, and it gave her a thought.  
“Would you like me to cut your hair”? She asked tentatively.   
He didn’t say anything. He simply regarded her silently for a moment, finally nodding his agreement. She held up her hand to indicate she’d be right back, and ran to her own room down the hall to grab a pair of scissors. Returning to his room, she saw he’d left the door open for her, so she walked in and gestured for him to sit. Moving to stand behind him, she began to comb her fingers through his hair. He relaxed, closing his eyes and tipping his head back. Seeing him take comfort in the gesture, she simply ran her fingers through his hair for a moment, watching his face relax and more of the tension ease out of his body. She eventually picked up the scissors and began cutting chunks of hair, moving methodically around his head, trying to keep it close to the style she’d seen him wear in the pictures her grandfather had shown her. She stepped back once she was done, putting the scissors down on a nearby table.  
“Do you want to look in the mirror”? She asked, gesturing to the bathroom door.  
He stood slowly, actually nervous at the prospect of seeing his reflection. He’d only seen glimpses of himself reflected in windows and doors, and always felt like the person staring back at him was a stranger. He wasn’t sure what would happen when he looked at himself fully in the mirror.   
He took the two strides to the bathroom and paused. She sensed his hesitation and moved to put her hand on his arm encouragingly. He steeled himself and walked in, finally looking at himself. She saw him relax as he ran his fingers through his hair, recognizing the man being reflected back for the first time.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
Days passed and Nora made sure to check on Bucky often. She brought him a new book every day, and stopped by to talk to him frequently. Despite her efforts to draw him out, he remained quiet and reticent, but his demeanor was gradually shifting. With every visit, he seemed more at ease, and every now and then she would even catch his mouth turning up in a quick half smile.   
He still had his demons, though, as Nora was reminded one night not long after Bucky had arrived. She was awoken in the middle of the night by a knocking on her door. Throwing on a robe, she opened the door cautiously, not sure who would be disturbing her that late at night.  
“I’m sorry to wake you, Doc,” said the level 5 agent standing in front of her “But I was on patrol and I think I heard yelling or something coming from the Winter Soldier’s room. I know we’re under orders to come to you with any concerns regarding him”.   
“Thank you, agent. I’ll go check on him.”  
“Would you like me to accompany you for safety?” He asked.  
“No, thank you. I’ll be ok,” she reassured the agent, who looked unconvinced but knew better than to argue.  
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, leaving to continue his patrol.  
She made her way hurriedly down the hall, arriving at Bucky’s room and knocking lightly. As the agent had said, she could hear a sound that was not quite a yell, not quite a whimper, coming from inside, and she realized he was having a nightmare. Opening the door, she moved quietly to Bucky’s side, laying a hand on his shoulder and calling his name. He woke with a start, fear and anger in his eyes, and grabbed her by the shoulders, throwing her down and pinning her to the bed.   
“It’s ok, Bucky, it’s me. It’s Nora,” she said gently, trying her best to remain calm.  
He searched her face desperately, fear changing to confusion, until his eyes finally met hers and he came back to himself with a jolt.   
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice breaking just slightly. He turned away from her, swinging his legs off the side of the bed and dropping his head into his hands.   
She scooted beside him and placed a comforting hand on his back. He flinched, but did not pull away.   
“It’s ok,” she reassured him. “I’m ok. You were having a nightmare.”  
“You shouldn’t have tried to wake me,” he said, almost angrily. “I could’ve killed you.”  
“But you didn’t,” she said quietly as she brushed his hair behind his ear. “Do you want to talk about it?”  
He shook his head no, and she nodded, letting her hand linger on his shoulder for one more moment to let him know he didn’t have to go through it alone. He brought his head up to finally look at her, and seeing the warmth and concern in her eyes, something inside him broke a little. To Nora’s complete surprise, he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in her shoulder. She gasped slightly in surprise, then returned the gesture, holding him tightly with one arm while the other stroked his hair gently. He didn’t cry, he didn’t even make a sound, he just sat there, arms wrapped tightly around her, drawing comfort from her presence. Eventually he loosened his grip, pulling away and sitting up straight.  
“I think I’ll sleep now,” he said curtly, retreating back into himself slightly. “I’m sorry I disturbed you in the middle of the night.”  
“It’s ok, Bucky,” she said, forcing him to meet her eyes again. “I am always here, any time you need me.”  
He turned away from her again, standing and crossing to the window, not at all prepared for the feeling of vulnerability that came with the comfort he took in Nora’s presence. He stood there silently for a moment, then turned to face her, preparing to tell her to leave him alone, that he didn’t need her. The words died on his tongue, however, when he saw that she was already making her way toward the door, and he felt something he couldn’t name at the prospect of her absence.   
“I mean it, Bucky,” she said as she reached for the door handle, “I don’t care if it’s the middle of the night. If you need me, I am here for you.”  
He simply nodded, and she smiled at him before turning to open the door and leave, closing it quietly behind her. He sighed, angry at himself for being so weak as to need her comfort, but simultaneously feeling more at peace than he could ever remember feeling. He crossed back to his bed and laid down, closing his eyes as he remembered the feeling of holding her tight, her hand running through his hair. He fell asleep quickly, and had no more nightmares that night.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
Bucky woke the next morning feeling better than he had in years. He’d slept deeply, the nightmares banished by Nora’s calm presence the night before. He couldn’t deny the sense of peacefulness she’d brought him, but he didn’t know how to deal with the vulnerability that came with allowing himself to be comforted by her. He pushed the thought of her out of his head, changing into his workout clothes and heading to the gym. He was halfway through his workout when he saw her making her way into the gym.  
“You’re here early,” she said, watching him from the door, “I stopped by your room, but you were gone. Is everything okay?”  
“I’m fine,” he replied sharply, “You don’t have worry about me.”  
“Alright,” she said, turning to leave, “You know where I am if you need me.”  
He finished his workout and went back to his room, paying little attention to his surroundings as he opened the door. As such, he was unprepared for the attack. The last thing he saw as the tranquilizer took effect were the Hydra agents restraining him.

He woke up groggy, back in that same chair he’d been waking up in for as long as he could remember. Taking in the room full of agents, he didn’t even bother to struggle. He’d felt all along that it was only a matter of time before they found him. He wondered briefly why they’d left his memory intact, realizing quickly that there would be questioning. He steeled himself for what was to come, deciding he would not betray the kindness SHIELD had shown him.  
Hours later, they’d tried everything they had to beat him into submission. He hadn’t fought back, but he also hadn’t told them anything. Despite his steadfast refusal to talk, it was clear to the Hydra agents that he’d resigned himself to his fate with them, and they were confident he’d break soon.   
“You’re making this much harder on yourself,” the agent said, backhanding him to emphasize his point. Bucky simply continued to stare at the ground, refusing to even acknowledge his surroundings, until a scream from the next room caused his head to jerk up.   
“Oh,” the agent smirked as he finally saw a sign of life in The Winter Soldier, “did we forget to mention? We have your friend, the pretty redhead. We haven’t gotten any more information out of her than we’ve gotten out of you; she’s stronger than she looks. But she doesn’t have your training, I’m sure a little more torture will break her. Of course, you could spare her that by simply telling us what we want to know.”  
His resignation immediately disappearing, replaced with blind fury, Bucky didn’t think, he just lashed out. His restraints were weak; they’d never really been strong enough to hold him, but he’d never had a reason to break them until now. The fight was short, but ugly. He’d managed to take down the four agents in the room before they had a chance to call for backup, but he knew there would be more soon. He had to find Nora. Ignoring his injuries completely, he broke down the door and moved into the hallway. Pausing at the door to the adjoining room, he reached for the handle, turning it slowly. Expecting no fight from the diminutive woman held inside, they hadn’t bothered to lock it. Bucky slid through the door and silently closed it behind him. Fear shot through him as took in the room. Covered in blood, Nora was slumped in a chair, the lone guard in the room standing over her with his hand raised. Before he had time to bring it down, The Winter Soldier was behind him, snapping his neck in one easy motion. Tossing him aside like a doll, he knelt beside Nora, emotions raging through him as he prayed for her to be alright.  
“Nora,” he said quietly, gently brushing her hair off her face.  
Her eyes flew open as she inhaled sharply, grimacing in pain as the movement aggravated the bones that had been broken in the interrogation. She looked fearfully around the room, anticipating another attack from the now dead man in the corner. Bucky dropped his hand and leaned back, waiting for her to see him. Recognition finally hitting her, he saw the tension melt out of her as she realized she was safe.  
“Bucky?” she whispered, tears forming in her eyes. He started to reach for her, but stopped himself, fighting the sudden urge to wrap her in his arms and hold her close.  
“I’m sorry,” he said as he moved to untie her restraints, “I didn’t know they’d taken you. You’ve been here this whole time. I’m so sorry,” he continued, his voice breaking.  
“It’s ok”, she said weakly, “You’re here now.”  
Finally free of her restraints, she tried to stand, only to gasp in pain and collapse back in the chair. She looked at Bucky, so scared and vulnerable; he’d couldn’t remember ever wanting to protect someone the way he knew he must protect her.  
“Don’t be scared,” he whispered reassuringly, “I’m not going to let them hurt you anymore.”  
She nodded, closing her eyes as a few tears escaped and ran down her cheeks. With a gentleness he didn’t know he possessed, he reached up to brush the tears away, letting his good hand linger on her cheek. She leaned into his touch, soaking up the comfort he offered.  
“Come on,” he murmured, gingerly sliding one arm behind her back, the other under her knees. He lifted her and stood, gently cradling her to his chest.   
She relaxed into his arms, relieved that he was there to be the strong one. She had a reputation for keeping her cool in even the tensest situations; she was always the strong one. But this … this was beyond anything she’d experienced. Overwhelmed by the events of the day, finally safe in Bucky’s arms, she buried her face into his shoulder and sobbed. Bucky’s heart broke. This woman who had been a pinnacle of calm and strength for him was now bloody and broken, sobbing in his arms. He held her a little closer, fearful of hurting her and unsure what to say. After a moment her crying slowed and Bucky leaned his head down to rest on hers for a moment.   
Finally realizing they’d already stopped for too long, he stood back up straight and summoned The Winter Soldier again.  
“We’re getting out of here now,” he said firmly, heading out the door and into the hallway.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
He was familiar with the facility; it was where they’d always kept him. He easily navigated the maze of hallways, finally ducking into an empty room when he heard a commotion from the direction they’d fled.  
“They know we’ve escaped,” he said, trying not let Nora hear the worry in his voice. If he were alone, he knew he’d be able to fight his way out easily. But not with Nora there, especially as injured as she was. He mentally mapped out the remaining route to the exit. The doors were not far, but would no doubt be heavily guarded. It was time to gamble.  
He sat Nora on the floor and handed her one of the guns he’d stolen off the interrogating agents.  
“I’ll be back for you,” he said, already regretting having to leave her as he saw the alarmed look on her face. He knelt beside her and looked into her eyes, taking her hand in his and squeezing it reassuringly, “I promise I’m going to get you out of here,” he said fiercely, “I just need to clear us a path.”   
She nodded, and her eyes brightened a little, some of her trademark calm returning. “I trust you,” she said simply, and he was surprised at how much those words meant to him.   
He stood and crossed to the door, turning to give her one last glance before moving soundlessly into the hallway. Stealth had never The Winter Soldier’s strength, but maybe he’d just never had the proper motivation. On silent feet (and realizing for the first time that he was still in his gym clothes), Bucky moved down the hall, stopping at the corner and peaking around to survey the exit. There were ten guards, not nearly as many as he’d anticipated. Realizing they must’ve spread themselves out to search for him and Nora, he knew he’d have to sacrifice stealth for speed. He couldn’t risk them finding her. He still had one gun in his possession, and a quick inventory told him he had 12 shots left. And since these men were all armored, he’d have to make his shots count. He snuck another glance around the corner, firmly fixing their positions in his head. He took a deep breath, stepped around the corner, and fired, one shot after another. He had six guards down before they could get a returning shot off. He stepped back into cover as they fired, dropping his now empty gun. He had no choice now but to go for it, so without hesitation he turned the corner again, running down the hall at the remaining six guards. Feeling a bullet his right shoulder, and another ricochet off his metal arm, he descended on the guards in a rage. Not able to take another shot without the risk of hitting an ally, the Hydra guards were forced to drop their guns and rely on hand weapons. Even still, they were outmatched. Within minutes, the floor was littered with bodies, The Winter Soldier not sparing them a second thought as he rushed back to Nora.  
Bursting into the room, he wordlessly knelt and scooped her up, not willing to sacrifice any more time. In a blink he was out the door with her, sprinting down the hall through the exit. With relief he noticed she’d wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, not seeing the pile of bodies he’d left in his wake.  
They burst through the exit and into a back alley. Less familiar with the area surrounding the building, Bucky stood for a moment not knowing which direction to go. He hoped Fury had sent agents out in search of them, but there was no way to know. Safety was most important, however, so he simply chose a direction and ran. Keeping to the shadows, he blindly turned corner after corner in the dark alleys of the city, only stopping when he finally reached a dead. He looked around frantically, trying to decide what to do next, when that decision was made for him. His heart stopped as he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned slowly, surveying the alley and committing it to memory, preparing for the fight he knew was coming. He exhaled a tremendous sigh of relief, however, when he recognized two of the men coming at him as agents that were present when Nora woke him in her lab weeks ago. SHIELD had found them. They were safe.


	9. Chapter 9

SHIELD headquarters was vastly different than the hellicarrier he’d become accustomed to. There were people everywhere, all seemingly rushing from one important task to the next. He didn’t like it. He’d been treated quickly; his wounds had all but healed themselves before the doctor even saw him. He sat now in his newly assigned quarters waiting to hear about Nora. Fury had been there when they’d arrived, had seen Bucky’s reluctance at handing Nora over to the medical staff. He’d promised Bucky that he’d keep him updated and let him see Nora as soon as possible.  
As soon as possible wasn’t soon enough, and Bucky was pacing his room when there was a knock on his door. Relieved there was finally some word, he rushed to the door and opened it, only to stare in surprise at the person on the other side.   
Calm and collected as ever, Nora stood in front of him, looking for all the world as if it were just her normal daily visit. The cuts, bruises, and limp were the only indications of what she’d been through.  
“Why aren’t you resting?” he blurted out, his surprise at seeing her causing it to come out more harshly than he meant.  
Her face fell for a moment, only showing a trace of hurt as it was quickly replaced with the mask of calm he was now beginning to understand was just as schooled as the one he always wore.  
“I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I’m sorry, I’ll go,” she said, turning to leave.  
“Nora, please, don’t. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that to … Just, don’t go.” He fumbled with his words, not accustomed to seeking forgiveness from anyone.  
She stopped and turned, maintaining her usual calm, professional stance, “I just wanted to apologize for losing my cool. I’m a SHIELD agent, and your doctor. I should have kept it together. I shouldn’t have placed the burden of my fear on you and I apologize”.   
“You’re apologizing to me?” he said in disbelief. He moved towards the window, suddenly unable to look at her. “It’s my fault they even took you. How can I even begin to ask for your forgiveness? They tortured you, tried to break you, of course you lost your cool. I should have known, I should have protected you. How can you possibly think you need to apologize to me?”  
“Bucky, this wasn’t your fault”, she said gently. She wanted to go to him, to take comfort in his presence, but she stood firm in the doorway. She couldn’t allow herself another moment of vulnerability like she’d already shown him.   
“It was”, he said as he turned sharply to face her, anger flashing in his eyes. “Nora, they could’ve killed you. You’re the first person to ever show me kindness, and I almost got you killed”.   
“Bucky, I …” she trailed off unsure of what to say. Her emotions were raging just under the surface, and she was afraid one wrong move would release them. “You didn’t endanger me. You saved me. I’m a SHIELD agent, there’s always a chance of something like this happening. We put ourselves in danger just by doing our jobs.” She paused as she felt her voice begin to waver, “I was certain I was going to die in there, and then you …” She stopped, fighting the emotions that were threatening to surface. Taking a deep breath, she continued, “When you came for me, when I opened my eyes and saw you, I knew I was safe. Because it was you. Because I could hear in your voice that you were certain you were going to get me out of there. Another agent probably wouldn’t have been able to do that. But you did. It was only a matter of time before I ended up in that situation, but I’m only alive because you were there”.  
His anger had ebbed as he listened to her, replaced with an overwhelming feeling of protectiveness. He recognized the careful wall she'd constructed around herself, if only because he lived inside one too. He crossed the room to where she stood and gently, carefully put his arms around her. He pulled her into his chest and brushed his metal hand through her hair. She summoned the last of her willpower, forcing herself to maintain an emotional distance as she leaned against him. Feeling her tense up as he put his arms around her, he only held her for a second before dropping his arms and backing away.   
“Trust goes both ways, you know.” he said as he stepped away from her.   
“I’ll check back in on you tomorrow.” she said simply as she turned and left.


End file.
